Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
The Gephardt Institute hosts the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards each year. Here, Gerry and Bob Virgil (seated) at the 2017 ceremony held at the Knight Center. Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Gerry and Bob Virgil (first row), Phil Valko (second row, left to right) Adam Pearson, Amanda Moore McBride, Carrick Reddin and Boahemaa Adu-Oppong pose for a portrait during a reception for the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award at Frick Forum. Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos 
Photo by Whitney Curtis/WUSTL Photos
Founded during Washington University in St. Louis’ Sesquicentennial year, the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award is an annual award recognizing a select group of WashU community members who exemplify a character of service and engagement with the St. Louis region.
Any member of the WashU community, past or current, who resides in and serves the St. Louis community is eligible to receive the award. This includes students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and volunteers* of the university.
Nominate a WashU Peer for the 19th Annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards
Nominations for our 19th Annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards are due Sunday, November 7, 2021, by 11:59pm CT.
The selection committee for the Gerry & Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award is eager to learn about your nominee and fully understand why you believe your nominee should be recognized. As you develop your nomination, please make note of these suggestions to assure that you effectively convey complete information about your nominee.
18th Annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award Ceremony
The WashU community convened on April 21, 2021, for the 18th Annual Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award. The event, hosted at Stix House on the Danforth Campus, gathered a diverse audience for the award’s first virtual ceremony.
View the 2021 Ethic of Service Awards Program
2021 Honorees
2020 Honorees
Characteristics of Award Honorees
The award committee anticipates a broad range of nominations that define service to community in many different ways. While the committee is not looking for a specific type of community involvement, characteristics of award honorees might include one or more of the following:
- Shows compassion for others
- Exudes passion for a social, cultural or economic issue
- Creates positive impact on the St. Louis community
- Considers service to the community to be a way of life
- Goes above and beyond professional responsibilities in their service to St. Louis
- Is dedicated to serving others
- Demonstrates selflessness
- Positively influences other’s perceptions of St. Louis
- Believes in the St. Louis region
- Inspires compassion and action in others
For More Information
- Learn more about Gerry and Bob Virgil
- Read “A Truly Extraordinary Couple” in Washington Magazine
- View a list of all past honorees, dating back to 2004.
- View a special video commemorating 15 years of the Ethic of Service awards below.
- If you have questions about the award and/or nomination process, please contact Stephanie Kurtzman, Peter G. Sortino Director of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.
*For purposes of the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award, university volunteers have a formal, active, and sustained role with a Washington University organization, usually in a leadership capacity, through the Board of Trustees, National Advisory Councils, or recognized university auxiliary organizations.